All-glass knockdown show-case.



l BATLNTLD PEB. ze, 19o?. M. L. LA BELGE. ALL GLASS KNOGKDOWN SHOW CASE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6,1906.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

AAA/f' PATENTED Luv-:13.26, 1907. M. E. LA BERGL. ALL GLASS KNOGKDOWN SHOW CASE.

l APPLICATION FILED ALPE. 6,1906` n 2- SHEETS-SHEET 2.

U Tnn sTATns PATENT orrrcn.

MAXIMILIAN E. LA BERGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ALL-GLASS KNOCKDOWN SHOW-CASE.

show-case construction which will have theappearance of a cemented or all-glass case, but which can be conveniently assembled or taken apart, giving a knockdown construe.- tionconvenientfor shipping and storage.

Certain features of the inventionare, however of broad application wherever there are glass or other plates or frames to be joined, the invention providing for fastening the plates conveniently and detachably with a minimum of exposure of fastening parts.

Another object of the inventionis to construct a show-case in suchmanner that it will be practically sealed against entrance of dust.

A further object is to avoid the strains which usually exist in glassshow-cases with wooden frames, owing to warping of the wood, &c., and toprovide a certain amount of yield in the fastening means, preventing liability of breakage by sudden jar.

Another object of the invention is to do away with exposed or conspicuous cornerfastenings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 isl an end view of the show-case. Fig. 2 is a plan, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is.a.i'ragmentary section of the partition-V joint showninFig. 2. Fig.` 4 is a fragmentary section. of a buttfjoint. construction. Fig. 5is an enlarged broken end view, partly in section. Fig.` 6 is a detail showing the fastenings at av rear cornerof the case. Fig. 7 is adetail perspective of the fastening member at the front corner of the case. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the locking-keys at the back of the case. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective of a fastening-strip member atthe top of the front plate. Fig. 10 is a perspective of a fastening-hook for one of the base-moldings. l

1 designates the base, and 2 the back frame rising from the rear edge of thebase and formed as a rectangular frame of wood or other suitable material, the same being sufficiently light sothat it does not interfere with the-,appearance of4 the .case as in an. all-glassA l Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6,

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

1906. Serial No. 310,258.

show-case. Y ledge or shoulder 3y extending around the and end plate 5 resting on the shoulder porthe rear frame 2 are provided with grooves to receive. the rear edges of the glass and; plates. j j

The invention provides means whereby plate 4, end plates 5, and top plates 7 are one or. more strips 8, which engage with an' shoulder portion 3 of lthe base member. These fastening.r members 8 and 9 are so formed as to permit relative longitudinal slidingv movement, butto interlockto pre- 8 may be formedas a strip havingllanges 10 at eachedge bent down andvinwardl'y, so` that the cross-section `of the strip is in the shown in Fig. 6. The fastening member 9" otherwise, and the fasteningmember 8 isseby cement. 12, a strip of fabric, preferably, thin leather, (indicated at 18,) being preferglass, both to form a cushion andto giveY a of the cement. Leather in this connection thecement The base 1 is formed with a tions, and the vertical members or posts 2" of`l the. several glass plates comprisingv a front"v lockedv or fastened together and to the rear frame and base to form a structure ofi suflicient rigidity to maintain its shape underiA the ordinary strains, but with sufficient yield or elasticity to preventv liability' of:

Each end'plate 5 has fastened toits. lower edge fastening means comprising-Y.

slide on the corresponding strips 9 on thev vent lateral displacement. Thus the member.V

form of a iiattened letter C, and thefastening means 9 maybe formed ofa metal strip bentJ or drawn. to give4 a. cross-section.. in'V the:y general form.. of. a flattened letter H, the.. flanges 11 of. this strip engaging and inter-- locking with the flanges 10 of the strip 8, as

may be fastened to the base 1 by screwsor cured to the bottom edge of the glassplate 5.

ably interposed betweenthe strip and the more effective joint for the adhesive action.

has the advantage that it retains its fleXi-n bility, as itdoesnot becomesaturated with,

Preferably there are two sets-of *strips-8f@ same at the front and ends, the front plate 4 IOC IIO

for each end plate, one located near the forward end and one near the rear end of said plate, these strips being sufficiently short so that the end plate may be set on the supporting-ledge slightly in advance of its final position, and on then pushing the plate rearward a short distance the members 8 thereon will be brought into sliding engagement with the members 9, the rear edge of the plate at the same time entering within the groove 6 in the back frame-post 2. The end plates are thereby held securely against lateral movement.

The front plate 4 rests on the ledge 3 and is secured to the plate 5 at each end by means of fastening members 14 15, cemented 0r secured to' the respective plates 4 5, an intermediate key member 16 engaging with both of the members 14 l5. Members 14 15 may be identical in shapefor example, each being of the above-described C form, and the key member 16 is in that case preferably of H form, the respective Wings 'or flanges of the H-formed strip 16 engaging and interlocking with'the flange of the C-formed strips. The latter strips 14 15 are secured to the respective glass plates 4 5 by means of cement with intermediate layersk or strips of leather or fabric 18, and when the front plate provided with these strips has been placed in front of the end plates the two strips 14 15 will meet or lie in close juxtaposition, forming an H- formed channel between them for the reception of the key device 16, which is slipped into said channel from above and slides down therein, thereby firmly keying the front to the end plates. The strip 14, which extends along the front of the end plates, is preferably bent over and continued along the top of said end plates to or beyond the rear end thereof, being, if desired, fastened at its rear end tol the top member 2a of the rear frame 2. Such fastening is not, however, necessary, and the said strip 15 may be secured solely to the end plate 5 throughout its length by cement and an intermediate leather strip 18. At the corner where it bends over the glass plate the flanges of said strip are cut away, as shown in Fig. 7, to enable such bending and to expose the slot for the reception of the key-bar,

oth at the front and top edges of the glass.

The top plate is provided on its under face with strips 19 cemented thereto, with an intervening leather or fabric strip 18, said strips 19 being of C form similar to the strips 14 and 15, so that when the top plate is set in place on the case the C-formed fastening members 19 will rest on the members 14 and will form in conjunction therewith an H- formed channel for the reception of an H- formed key-bar, (indicated at 20,) which slides therein and locks the top plate to the end plates. VThe top plate is provided at its rear end with another C-formed fasteningstrip 21, and a similar fastening-strip 22 is secured to the top rail 2a of the rear frame, and when the top plate 7 is pushed clear back to position the said strips 21 will overlie the strip 22, so that an H-formed fastening-strip 23 may be inserted and slide between them, fastening the top plate near its rear edge to the top rail 2a of the rear frame. Two of these key-strips 23 are preferably used, inserted from tne respective ends of the case and meeting in the center, each of these strips having a roll or bend 23a at its end, forming a handle for facilitating withdrawal of the strip and acting as a stop. The top plate 7 has near its front edge a U-formed strip 24, cemented thereto, as above described, for the other fastening-strip, and a similar strip 25 is cemented to the top edge of the front plate 4, these U-formed strips being reversely directed, so that when the top plate is pusned back, as above described, the unsecured flange of each strip will enter within the slot of the other strip, thereby holding the front edge of the top plate down on the -front plate and at the same time holding the front plate back against the end plates.

The above-described expedient of fastening the glass plates together by means of fastening devices attached to each plate and an intermediate key member having flanges engaging and interlocking in the grooves of the respective fastening members is of broad application and may be used wherever two glass plates are fastened edge to edge or the edge of one to the side of another. For example, Fig. 3 shows the application of the invention where a glass plate 30 abuts endwise against the side of another glass plate 4, this construction being adopted where, as shown in Fig. 2, a partition 30 extends across the show-case from front to back, said partition engaging at its rear end in a groove 32 in the rear post 2/, Fig. 2, and being provided at its front end with a C-strip 33, (see Fig. 3,) a similar strip 34 being cemented to the inside of the front plate 4 and an H-bar 35 being slid between and in engagement with the aforesaid members 33 34 to bind the parts together. In either one of the above cases either one of the elements to be fastened may be of glass, marble, or like material and the other of woodor metal.

In Fig. 4 are shown two glass plates 26 27, placed edge to edge, each provided with a C-formed bar 28, cemented thereto, and an intermediate H-formed bar 29 being inserted and slid in the channel formed by the said fastening members, with its flanges engaging and interlocking with the flanges of the fastening members to secure the plates 26 27 together. Such construction is suitable where the front of the show-case or of a window, mirror, or other glass construction is made of two endwise-abutting plates, and, as shown,

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one of said plates may be a curved or corner plate.

In .F ig. 5 is shown a molding construction for the base of the show-case, whereby the fastening and removal ofthe moldings is facilitated. '.lhe ends of the show-case are provided with slots or grooves 37, over which are secured metal plates 38, the forward ends of the grooves being exposed, and the end moldings 3Q are provided with rearwardlyextending hooks 40, formed on plates 4l, secured to the inner faces of said moldings in suoli manner that when the molding is placed against the end of the base the said hooks enter the exposed portion of the aforesaid grooves and slip in under the retaining-plates 38, thereby holding the end moldings in place.

These bars are slanted or inclined so that as the molding is shoved into place it draws against the base. The front molding 39 has similar hooks 38, which, however, extend downwardly so as to engage over vertical plates 38, fastened to the front of the base, so that when the front molding is slipped into place the hooks 40 thereon by engagement with said plates will hold the said molding against the base, and the moldings 39 being mitered at their ends will mutually engage each other to prevent the end moldings from being drawn forward until the front molding is lifted and withdrawn. A button 43 may be attached to bottom of molding 39 to turn under molding 39, thereby holding the part 39 from rising. Moldings 39 39 have rubber strips 44 to grip the glass.

The upper rail 2a of the rear frame 2 may be used as a support for a yard-measure 45, which may be inscribed on the rail or on a strip secured thereto. In connection with the above-described show-case I have illustrated a glass-door construction for the back of the case, the same comprising two glass doors 47, which slide in longitudinal grooves.

48, top and bottom rails 49, the said grooves and the top and bottom edges of the doors being rounded and each groove being provided near one end with a rubber buffer 50, secured in the case to serve as a buffer for the door when the latter approaches the limit of its movement. The door-handles are formed with metal fittings 51, each handle having a flange 52 extending around the edge of the door and fastened thereto with cement. A packing-strip 53 is cemented to or down to close the joint between the doors.

The use of the leather strips in securing the fasteners to the glass plates is of advantage in that the leather yields sufficiently to take up the contraction of the cement, and therefore prevents breakage of the glass or of the joint by such contraction, and it retains this yielding quality because it does not absorb the cement. This construction also gives a perinanently-dust-proof structure and protects the case by its yielding quality from sudden strains or jars at the junctions of the glass plates. Instead of' leather, rubber or any material which has the requisite flexibility and non-absorbent quality may be used.

What I claim isl. In a show-case, two adjacent glass plates, each provided with fastening-strips secured thereto by cement, the respective str.ps being flanged, and a key-strip engaging the flanges of the respective strips to bind the plates together.

2. In a show-case, two glass plates, each having a C-formed metal strip secured thereto by cement, the strips of the respective plates being opposed to form an H-shaped channel, and an H-formed bar extending in said channel to bind the plates together.

3. A glass plate for show-cases having a fabric strip cemented thereon, and a metallic fastening-strip cemented on the fabric strip, said fastening-strip having a flange extending therefrom.

4. A show-case comprising base and back members, glass end plates, the base having a shoulder around its ends and front, and the back member havin@r vertical grooves, end plates extending in Jthe grooves in the back member, means on the base and on the end plates slidably engaging one another to retain the end plates from lateral displacement, a front plate extending in front of the end plates, means on the rear side of the fronty plate and on the front edges of the end plates connected together to hold the front plate against the end plates,v and a top plate extending over the front and end plates and the top of the back frame, and provided with fastening means secured to its under face, the top of the said back frame, the end plates and top plate being provided with fastening means connected to the fastening means of the top plate to hold the top plate down and to hold the front and end plates in relative position.

5. In a show-case, the combination with back, end and front members, of a glass top plate having a U-formed strip secured to its under face by cement, a reversely-directed U-formed strip secured to the top of the front plate by cement to engage and interlap with the aforesaid U-formed strip, opposing fastening devices secured to the under face of the top plate and end member to guide the top plate and permit it to be slid rearwardly over the end plates to bring the aforesaid U- formed strips into engagement, and means on the top plate and rear member to hold the top plate in rearward position.

6. In a show-case, a base havinglongitudinal grooves in its ends and vertical grooves in its front, plates extending across said grooves, end moldings having hooks extend- IOC IOS

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ing in the grooves and engaging With they! In testimony whereof I have hereunto set plates at the ends of the base, and a front my hand, at Los Angeles, California, this 31st molding having hooks extending in the verday of March, 1906.

tical grooves and engaging with the plates in MAXIMILIAN E. LA BERGE. the front ofthe base the said moldings meetl In presence of-n in}gl at their ends to mutually hold one anl ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, ot er in place.

f VERNA A. TALBERT. 

